Hormone Replacement Therapy
Sex Hormones and Asthma
A chronic inflammation of the airways causing wheezing, difficulty breathing and severe chest tightness, asthma affects more people between the ages of 35 and 64 than any other age group. In fact, eight out of every 100 adults in this demographic suffer from asthma.1
Why is this number so high among middle-aged people? While doctors think that genetics, cigarette smoke/pollution exposure, having a history of viral respiratory illnesses and obesity are risk factors for asthma, these factors do not adequately address the problem of why asthma is so prevalent in adults over 35.
We now may know the answer. A 2019 study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine found that in overweight women with asthma, levels of estradiol are significantly lower than estradiol levels in non-asthmatic women. This study also reports that asthmatic men who were not overweight had lower levels of estradiol than men who were non-asthmatic.2
Estradiol, Testosterone and Asthma
A primary sex hormone in men and women, estradiol is a form of estrogen essential for normal development of a woman’s reproductive system. Produced by the adrenal glands and ovaries, estradiol also regulates fat distribution and is responsible for secondary female sex characteristics. During perimenopause and menopause, falling estradiol production leads to hot flashes, moodiness, night sweats and other signs of menopause.3
Researchers who conducted this study cited a specific reason for investigating whether sex hormones may play a role in development of asthma: more women than men suffer from asthma.
Data culled from over 9000 adults between the ages of 18 and 79 who participated in a nationwide survey found that six percent of asthma sufferers were men while nearly 13 percent were women. The following conclusions led to researchers realizing that higher levels of estradiol and other sex hormones decreased the risk of asthma:4, 5
- Women with higher levels of testosterone had a significantly lower risk of asthma compared to women with low levels of testosterone.
- Overweight women with higher levels of estradiol had nearly 60 percent lower odds of developing asthma than overweight women with low estradiol.
- Normal weight men with higher levels of estradiol had around 55 percent lower odds of developing asthma compared to normal weight men with low estradiol.
Authors of this study state that results suggest circulating free testosterone and estradiol may explain why more women than men have asthma. They also note that being overweight modifies the effect of estradiol and testosterone on asthma in women and men.
Further clinical knowledge appears to indicate that menopause correlates with worsening of pre‐existing asthma symptoms.6,7 Epidemiological research supports this theory by showing that onset of asthma peaks in women around age 50. In most cases, women experiencing symptoms of asthma at the time they begin menopause do not have a family history of asthma nor do they have a history of allergies or respiratory illness. This lends additional support to the increasingly accepted belief that reduced levels of sex hormones can contribute to exacerbation of asthma symptoms or onset of asthma.
Bioidentical Hormone Therapy (BHRT) May Help Reduce Your Risk of Asthma
If you already have asthma or carry several risk factors for asthma, consider BHRT for maintaining healthy levels of estradiol and other sex hormones. This is especially important if you are male or female and over 40 years old. Around this time, your ovaries and testes begin preparing for menopause and andropause by decreasing output of estradiol and testosterone. Signs of early hormonal imbalance in middle-aged women include irregular periods, insomnia, occasional hot flashes and mood instability. Signs of reduced testosterone in men include low sex drive, lack of energy, weight gain, irritability and loss of muscle strength
Learn more about the many benefits of BHRT by calling us today to schedule an appointment. We offer bioidentical hormone “pellet” therapy for men and women of all ages wanting to improve their overall health and well-being with safe and effective BHRT.
References
- https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/most_recent_national_asthma_data.htm
- https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1164/rccm.201905-0996OC
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4612529/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5745695/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5745695/
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1034/j.1398-9995.2001.00128.x
- https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-sex-hormones-can-help-or-hurt-your-asthma/
A chronic inflammation of the airways causing wheezing, difficulty breathing and severe chest tightness, asthma affects more people between the ages of 35 and 64 than any other age group. In fact, eight out of every 100 adults in this demographic suffer from asthma.1
Why is this number so high among middle-aged people? While doctors think that genetics, cigarette smoke/pollution exposure, having a history of viral respiratory illnesses and obesity are risk factors for asthma, these factors do not adequately address the problem of why asthma is so prevalent in adults over 35.
We now may know the answer. A 2019 study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine found that in overweight women with asthma, levels of estradiol are significantly lower than estradiol levels in non-asthmatic women. This study also reports that asthmatic men who were not overweight had lower levels of estradiol than men who were non-asthmatic.2
Estradiol, Testosterone and Asthma
A primary sex hormone in men and women, estradiol is a form of estrogen essential for normal development of a woman’s reproductive system. Produced by the adrenal glands and ovaries, estradiol also regulates fat distribution and is responsible for secondary female sex characteristics. During perimenopause and menopause, falling estradiol production leads to hot flashes, moodiness, night sweats and other signs of menopause.3
Researchers who conducted this study cited a specific reason for investigating whether sex hormones may play a role in development of asthma: more women than men suffer from asthma.
Data culled from over 9000 adults between the ages of 18 and 79 who participated in a nationwide survey found that six percent of asthma sufferers were men while nearly 13 percent were women. The following conclusions led to researchers realizing that higher levels of estradiol and other sex hormones decreased the risk of asthma:4, 5
- Women with higher levels of testosterone had a significantly lower risk of asthma compared to women with low levels of testosterone.
- Overweight women with higher levels of estradiol had nearly 60 percent lower odds of developing asthma than overweight women with low estradiol.
- Normal weight men with higher levels of estradiol had around 55 percent lower odds of developing asthma compared to normal weight men with low estradiol.
Authors of this study state that results suggest circulating free testosterone and estradiol may explain why more women than men have asthma. They also note that being overweight modifies the effect of estradiol and testosterone on asthma in women and men.
Further clinical knowledge appears to indicate that menopause correlates with worsening of pre‐existing asthma symptoms.6,7 Epidemiological research supports this theory by showing that onset of asthma peaks in women around age 50. In most cases, women experiencing symptoms of asthma at the time they begin menopause do not have a family history of asthma nor do they have a history of allergies or respiratory illness. This lends additional support to the increasingly accepted belief that reduced levels of sex hormones can contribute to exacerbation of asthma symptoms or onset of asthma.
Bioidentical Hormone Therapy (BHRT) May Help Reduce Your Risk of Asthma
If you already have asthma or carry several risk factors for asthma, consider BHRT for maintaining healthy levels of estradiol and other sex hormones. This is especially important if you are male or female and over 40 years old. Around this time, your ovaries and testes begin preparing for menopause and andropause by decreasing output of estradiol and testosterone. Signs of early hormonal imbalance in middle-aged women include irregular periods, insomnia, occasional hot flashes and mood instability. Signs of reduced testosterone in men include low sex drive, lack of energy, weight gain, irritability and loss of muscle strength
Learn more about the many benefits of BHRT by calling us today to schedule an appointment. We offer bioidentical hormone “pellet” therapy for men and women of all ages wanting to improve their overall health and well-being with safe and effective BHRT.
References
- https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/most_recent_national_asthma_data.htm
- https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1164/rccm.201905-0996OC
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4612529/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5745695/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5745695/
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1034/j.1398-9995.2001.00128.x
- https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-sex-hormones-can-help-or-hurt-your-asthma/
